BACKSTREET BOYS39Whaley, the tour’s Audio Crew Chief. The PA comprised 18 E15 per side, with
a left- and right-side array consisting of 12 E15s and six E12s. The rear hangs
were made up of 12 S10 per side and 12 E219 Subs per side for the low end.
Finally, for the front fills were the Adamson S10N and new IS7P, which is
specified for the VIP area within the thrust.
“All systems have their own sonic qualities,” contemplated the FOH
Engineer, while describing the characteristics that made the Adamson
boxes ideal for the Backstreet Boys. “It’s a ver y ‘mid-forward’ PA. It’s not
something you can EQ or process into your mix. It’s just the sound of the
box, and when you mix five individual vocals, that mid-range is vital.”
Whaley was also complementar y of the mid-range capabilities of the
box. “Thanks to the Kevlar Neodymium drivers, it is one of the best mid-
range drivers on the market,” enthused the Crew Chief. He continued to
explain some of the logistical challenges with the setup, namely working
around the various set elements. “The V-screen and keeping the PA off
the thrust was certainly a challenge,” he reminisced, discussing the initial
system design.”
To work around the various elements, Whaley created a solution
where the main PA overshot the whole thrust. “We then have the 120s bent
back to cover the side of the thrust,” commented McCullagh. “It’s a really
efficient use of boxes and space which, in turn, helps me out a huge amount
with my mix.”
The FOH Engineer oversaw two mixes during the show – one for live
and the other for broadcast. Despite the instrumentation consisting of
playback, McCullagh treated the mix as if he was dealing with live musicians
and ensured signature moments in the songs still had an impact.
“This often means battling against the crowds, who can be ver y loud,”
he laughed. “Like all productions, we have a dB limit, but we have found
that our crowds often exceed this – especially between songs.”
MONITORS
Monitor Engineer, Austin Schroeder, continued the conversation. “This was
my first time using the SSL outside of playing around with them on a few
demos,” he began, discussing his move over to the audio brand. “I have
some other audio engineer friends who had said great things about them.
As a company they are still growing their touring division and it’s cool to
jump in and be part of it.”
While based in Las Vegas, Schroeder made use of SSL’s facility to trial
the desks in preparation for the upcoming tour. “James and I got stuck in a
similar workflow and mindset during the residency. Setting out on this tour,
it was good to reset and shake things up with a new control surface. The
support we have received from SSL has also been second to none.”
The engineer went on to describe some of the demands from the five
men on stage. “All of them tend to veer towards more of the album sound
in terms of their mixes,” he commented. “My most important role as a
Monitor Engineer is to ensure each one of the band are comfortable so they
are able to perform to the best of their ability.”
When Schroeder took up the monitor gauntlet, he was always warned
about one potential issue – namely one of the members’ tendency to use
only one IEM. “I think that is one of my crowning achievements,” beamed
Schroeder. “Kevin [Richardson] has only ever used one IEM. I remember
looking at the show file from a former engineer who had done ever ything
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